[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] Re: INFO ON APEX DRILL (National Airport Emergency Drill) URGENT HELP NEEDED

[ka4gfy at cox.net]

Lets volunteer for this on Saturday, even if you can only work a few hours.  

It should be fairly straight forward.  We had a great time the last time we did this and the hospital staff was real impressed with the APRS equipment.  

They are a good group to work with.

Rich, KA4GFY


---- Rick and Karen Bunn <RRBunn at cox.net> wrote: 
> I hate to send this out on short notice, but National Airport is having
> their required disaster drill THIS SATURDAY 9/15/07.  I need two operators
> to cover Alexandria Hospital from 0800 to early afternoon.  I have a
> commitment I cannot get out of so I am not available until after 1330.
>  
> If you can volunteer, please call me at (703)317-9305 or let me know.  We
> have had an offer from Arlington RACES to cover Alexandria for us.  In fact,
> Jeff Wilson was told by the RACES RO in Arlington that he would cover the
> hospital.  I would rather we cover Alexandria Hospital ourselves.  If I can
> find a replacement for my normal third Saturday, I will be their.
>  
> Jeff Wilson also needs some help in Fairfax, so after we have covered the
> hospital, we can help him out as well.
>  
> Many Thanks.
> 73 Rick
> N4ASX
> 
>   _____  
> 
> From: Jeffery W Wilson [mailto:wilsonjw at cox.net] 
> Sent: Monday, September 10, 2007 11:34 PM
> To: Tom Azlin (N4ZPT); Art Pond - KD4FBT; Daniel Sullivan (KO1D)
> Cc: Rick Bunn (N4ASX); Howard Cunningham, WD5DBC
> Subject: 
> 
> 
> 
> This Reagan National Airport drill / exercise has many of the issues that
> we've talked about following the Dulles Drill. Solutions looking for a
> problem are always suspicious. There's a set of natural needs for emergency
> communication support - chasing ambulances to the airport so you can hitch a
> ride to the hospital with aircraft crash victims isn't one of them.
> 
>  
> 
> I'm fond of the practice of fisking (see Wikipedia entry here
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisking> ). Here's a shot at the page
> <http://www.w4ava.org/aepex/apex07.htm>  on the ARPSC web site that we've
> been discussing today.
> 
>  
> 
> On Saturday September 15, 2007, Reagan National Airport will stage a
> disaster drill starting at 1000 hours local. The scenario is that a regional
> jet attempting to land crashes at the east end of Runway 4, near the Potomac
> River. About 85 casualties will be in the plane, in vehicles struck by the
> plane, and in the water. The fire will be extinguished, then victims will be
> rescued and transported to area hospitals. Other functions to be practiced
> include river rescue, assistance to families of the victims, and collection
> of evidence and debris.
> 
>  
> 
> // We'll need to be on station well before 1000 (something more like 0800)
> to make sure we have our comm checks done, we've met the hospital staff, and
> that we're ready to go.
> 
>  
> 
> So, there are 85 casualties. The living will need treatment, and hence
> transportation; the dead won't. No way to tell how many will be transported,
> but I'd guess that it's fewer than 85.
> 
>  
> 
> The timeline is important. Let's say the crash happens at 1000. How long
> will it take for the airport to call Arlington County? A few minutes? How
> long until Arlington County calls City of Alexandria, Fairfax County Fire
> and Rescue, Pentagon Force Protection Agency, Fort Myer Fire Department, and
> the District of Columbia Fire / EMS? A few minutes? The airport is going to
> figure out nearly instantly that they need a LOT of EMS and casualty
> transport, and it's easier to turn help away than to call for reinforcements
> once you figure out that you misestimated need. 
> 
>  
> 
> How long will it take Arlington County to call ARPSC (when Arlington
> County's existing communication system is still operational)? Let's say that
> ARPSC is on Arlington County's speed dial, and that the call goes out by
> 1010. I haven't mapped where all ARPSC people live, but I'll bet that many
> live in the City of Alexandria, Fairfax County, and surrounding environs.
> Given Saturday morning traffic on the freeways and surface streets,
> individual ARPSC members aren't going to get to the airport until after the
> ambulances arrive (and depart).//
> 
> Arlington Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) operators will
> provide communications at 12 sites during this exercise. Three are at the
> airport, at the command post, the transport desk, and the family assistance
> center. Other sites are the Regional Healthcare Coordinating Center (RHCC)
> in Falls Church, the hospitals in Arlington, Alexandria, Mt. Vernon, Inova
> Fairfax, Potomac Hospital in Woodbridge, along with District of Columbia
> hospitals at George Washington University, Georgetown, and Washington
> Hospital Center.
> 
>  
> 
> // We've already beaten the ARPSC v. RACES issue pretty hard today. This is
> an ARPSC event, regardless of what the web page asserts. It's just a lot
> better sounding to say "RACES" than "my club is supporting this event". It
> may or may not involve 12 sites. We'll figure that out Saturday.
> 
>  
> 
> The three sites at the airport: the command post, the transport desk, and
> the family assistance center, are all in Arlington County, so no issue
> there. One wonders what amateur radio support at the family assistance
> center is going to do, though. Even if we assume the cellular network is not
> provisioned for the demand caused by an incident of this nature, the airport
> does have plenty of POTS lines.
> 
>  
> 
> Virginia Hospital Center is also in Arlington County, so that isn't an
> issue.
> 
>  
> 
> Inova Alexandria is Rick Bunn's issue, though I'm happy to join forces in
> supporting the event.
> 
>  
> 
> Potomac Hospital? I've driven south on I-95 to visit the "candy store" on
> Saturday, and that's the last place you'd drive. You could certainly fly
> there in a helicopter, but you're not going to have an amateur radio
> operator on the flight. I'd fly to Fort Belvoir before I'd fly to Potomac
> Hospital, though.//
> 
> 
> 
> RACES' main function is to coordinate victims transportation and return from
> hospitals. We will track victims by their fictitious names. Many victims
> will have Triage Tags issued by EMS at the airport. The operator at each
> hospital will have a name list that includes real and fictitious victim
> names.
> 
>  
> 
> // The main function is to coordinate victim transportation and return from
> the hospitals. Seems like this would be better done by a professional
> (someone who is (a) trained, and (b) covered by liability insurance for the
> odd cases where victims are sent to the wrong place) and not a volunteer,
> regardless of how well trained they may be in emergency communication. If
> this means "get on a bus with victims and go to a hospital", then I'm really
> confused, since in The Real WorldT, amateur radio operators would only be on
> the airport if (a) they could get past airport security, and (b) they lived
> in Crystal City so they could ride their bicycle over and avoid the gridlock
> on I-395, the GW Parkway, and access roads caused by the crash (and smoke
> from the fire). 
> 
>  
> 
> I wonder how the operator at the hospital has a name list that includes real
> and fictitious names? How does this list get to the hospital?//
> 
> The RHCC requests that operators at hospitals wear headsets until all
> victims arrive (workers had heads up during the drill at Dulles
> Internationalat (IAD) by overhearing radio transmissions on inbound
> ambulances.) Dealing with noise will be one challenge. National Airport
> (DCA) will continue to operate normally except that Runway 4 will be closed
> during the drill.
> 
>  
> 
> // Good point about the headsets. We need to make sure that's on our
> checklist for deployment equipment. This criticism belies, however, the
> whole point of having communicators on the buses [ambulances]. If you don't
> want news from the buses [ambulances], don't put radio operators aboard.
> 
>  
> 
> I-395, the GW Parkway, and airport access roads will also continue to
> operate "normally". They won't be choked with "inspectors"  -- a "fender
> bender" can put I-395 in gridlock, imagine what a commuter jet crash (and
> the plume of burning JET A) will produce. I'll bet the MWAA police
> quarantine the airport at its extreme access points (e.g., Jefferson Davis
> Highway in Crystal City) to make sure emergency vehicles don't have to fight
> their way along the access roads on the airport proper. Perhaps this is
> where the FRAC badges come into play.//
> 
> All RACES participants must wear their Arlington County OEM RACES T-shirts
> with identifying patches and OEM-issued RACES identification badges. One or
> two operators will be assigned to each location, and they will be provided
> with instructions, maps, the communications plan, etc. A primary and a
> backup Net Control Station will be named, with tactical call signs for all
> stations.
> 
>  
> 
> // I haven't seen one of these. I wonder where the patches go on the
> t-shirt. I have an opinion about uniforms for volunteers - that may be worth
> a poll one of these days.//
> 
> All RACES members are encouraged to participate in this drill, which will
> provide excellent training for a natural, transportation, industrial or
> terrorist incident in our area. The time commitment is from about 0900 to
> 1400 hours local. Participants will receive an APEX T-shirt. Operators at
> hospitals may ride between the airport and hospitals in vans with victims,
> or take their own vehicles.
> 
>  
> 
> // "Operators at hospitals may ride between the airport and hospitals in
> vans with victims, or take their own vehicles." - implies there's no real
> need for hospital support. Show up with your victims, stand around while
> they're being "treated", then jump back on the van and go back to the
> airport. Pretty straight-forward.//
> 
> Non-RACES Amateurs who would like to be considered for participation in this
> drill must first obtain  <http://www.w4ava.org/training.htm> Arlington
> County RACES Certification.
> 
> 
> 
> //Certainly true within the boundaries of Arlington County. Not at all true
> elsewhere.//
> 
> 
> Contact: William Doggette K3SRF
> Arlington County Safety Program Coordinator & Risk Management HRD
> 703-228-3471
> http://www.w4ava.org/aepex/k3srfmail.JPG
> 
> 
>  <http://www.w4ava.org> ARPSC Home
> 
>  
> 
> Jeffery W Wilson, AI4IO
> 
> Fairfax County ARES Emergency Coordinator
> 
> http://www.fairfaxares.org <http://www.fairfaxares.org/> 
> 
>  
>